Preference Poll: Highest FPS or Lowest Frametime?

[Atekk920]

Been thinking about this lately.
I usually will grab the 1% lows after about an hour after gameplay and cap my FPS 10 frames above that for very smooth frame times vs the highest possible FPS.

I always apply a cap and just wont play anything I have to cap below 60fps; but that 100-120fps range is the sweet spot for me! I usually adjust my settings and cap it there. What's your preference?

 

[Kaamos_Llama]

Depends on the game. In 3d action games I usually let VRR handle it but I want at least 80 average, and I dont want it to dip under 60, if I can get there lowering a couple of settings I'll do that rather than put up with low frame rates. I might revise that if I had a game that was dipping often from 144 to 60 or something, but it hasnt happened yet.

In less graphically demanding strategy games I mostly cap it somewhere between 80 and 100 if it lets me. Currently playing Pillars of Eternity 2 at 90 FPS, no idea why 90.

 

[BeardyHat]

I'm not picky as long as things feel smooth. I've been playing Elex on Steam Deck and the cap doesn't work for some reason on there (maybe because it's GoG?), so I've instead set my watts to 10 and let the FPS bump around from 35ish to 55ish depending on what's happening.

Ideally I'd cap it at 40 and up the wattage a bit to have that solid, but I'm perfectly content with how it's running right now.

 

[Alm]

I don’t usually notice the difference between 40-60 fps, let alone anything above. Given the option, I pick performance, but that’s because it’s supposedly better.

 

[neogunhero]

Unfortunately I don’t have the best gaming tech. My “monitor” is a nearly 10 year old TV, my graphics card struggles to go above 60FPS on graphics settings I’d like to use in a lot of games, and it goes without saying I don’t have things like G-Sync or FreeSync.

This causes me to always turn on V-Sync and cap my games at 60FPS. Refresh rate aside, even if I can run a game constantly above 60FPS, I’m still going to turn on V-Sync.

I’ve ran into some games where technically I can run it at a smooth 60FPS, but the frame time causes the game to microstutter. If that is the case, I’d rather drop my FPS cap down to maybe 45FPS if it means it runs smoother just at a lower frame rate.

 

[Brian Boru]

I don't usually wear a cap while gaming—only if the evening sun slanting thru the window is particularly bright, eg after a summer shower.

I have no idea what FPS I get in the games I play. In the rare case where I get untenable visual corruption, I fiddle a list of graphic settings until it's fine again.

I generally keep Windows fancy graphics stuff turned off, run the Ultimate Performance power plan, minimize startup apps, and close down other programs before launching a game which might stretch the system.

 

[Zloth]

Just let'r go at whatever speed it goes. I might turn on v-sync if there's an option, but I haven't seen tearing in a long time.

 

[DXCHASE]

Depends on the game.

This.

Some games are meant in each of the two categories.

 

[Zimbaly]

I've played a game at 13 fps cause I wanted to play it and my pc couldn't handle it..... so I'm not really picky. I'd do it again.

 

[Colif]

I don't worry about it. I really don't play any games where the frame rate really matters

I don't even know what I get in games as I would need to use the overlay to see it. Or Afterburner and it really isn't a priority... maybe in a few years when my GPU still isn't 2nd best AMD GPU

its not recorded anywhere in Adrenalin unless you actually playing a game. I know what my avg FPS is in games but not lowest frame times. Given most games I am over 200fps still, I don't think I need to worry about the bottom.

 

[Frindis]

Uncapped in FPS games and depending on how I play them, I either use the highest resolution or lower it so I can squeeze out more FPS. Depending on the game it can be easier to spot enemies with lower resolution because they will pop out more easily. Slower-paced games I usually cap between 60-90FPS depending on how much movement it has.

 

[Zloth]

I've played a game at 13 fps cause I wanted to play it and my pc couldn't handle it..... so I'm not really picky. I'd do it again.

I played Crysis when it came out at around that frame rate, just because it looked so awesome. I was doing so badly that I was doubting my skills as a gamer before I figured out just how much easier it is to play with a framerate way up in the 30's.

 

[Kaamos_Llama]

Smoothness is key.

When I started using LCD monitors properly in 2012 I always though there was something weird about 60hz on an LCD flat screen that wasnt there when using CRTs. Fast action games always felt stuttery and weird using Vsync and tearing really bothered me if I turned it off, even using stuff like Adaptive sync to decouple the frame rate if it dropped under 60. This was across multiple monitors, CPU's and graphics cards from all companies in any FPS or action game. I put up with it because I just assumed it was normal.

Moving to a higher refresh monitor with VRR a few years ago completely solved that problem. I dont think going to 360Hz or whatever is going to make anything any better than it is, for me keeping things above 60 with VRR to make refresh rate match the GPU output seems to be the key.

Luckily VRR is now the norm and has become much more affordable thanks to Freesync and panels being more available. If you were buying a new gaming monitor now it would be a struggle to find one without VRR in some form even at the lowest budget end, its popular for a reason.

 

[Zloth]

Key for fast action games - not so key for turn based games. It's always surprising to me how many people insist on 60 (or even 120+) fps in games like XCOM or Solasta. Turn that FPS display off when you're playing those games, people!

 

[Kaamos_Llama]

Key for fast action games - not so key for turn based games. It's always surprising to me how many people insist on 60 (or even 120+) fps in games like XCOM or Solasta. Turn that FPS display off when you're playing those games, people!

Before Gsync came out people in Europe and the US were buying €300 Yamasaki Catleaps and similar from Korea, overclocking them for 120hz refresh rates, and were insisting that it felt much smoother on the Windows desktop. Not a thing I ever have noticed but maybe I just dont have super eyes

I agree, but I still mostly cap it around 80-100 if a cap is available, those games dont tend to be as graphically intensive so they arent usually warming things up too much. They also tend to hit the CPU between turns when the ai is working things out and jerk about then anyway so its never going to be smooth all the time, but it totally doesnt matter.